Jared Dawoud hitting up the cat box at the Mammoth Art Park photo: Peter Morning
Mammoth Mountain’s annual Night of Lights has long been a celebration of all-ages fun, but this year underwent a transformation, adding aspects of culture to the weekend. The fireworks show has grown to be quite possibly the largest in all of California, sandwiched by music and art events to create an entirely new experience.
The Night of Lights weekend, from December 16-18, kicked off with the always-anticipated debut of South Park. The lower section started the season off with a pair of 30-foot jumps that send you into an unenviable 
decision between a rhythm line full of hidden transfers and the Jamie Lynn Art Park Pop-up Gallery. This newest incarnation of the one-of-a-kind Art Park sports a handful of all-new rail features with the designs of the legendary snowboarder/artist, Jamie Lynn.
On Friday evening, Hyde Lounge hosted a welcoming reception for Jamie Lynn and his works, displaying his vibrant prints above an equally colorful crowd. The party went deep into the night, and everyone seemed quite thankful that the official on-snow debut wasn’t until high noon the next day. Jamie Lynn, Art Park graphic designer Peter Stow, and Mammoth Unbound rail fabricator Dustin Del Giudice were the guests of honor as everyone enjoyed the fruits of their labor on this sunny Saturday. Some of the works are Jamie Lynn originals, while others employ his most recognizable art in a whole new medium. The bold and colorful nature of the pieces provides a stark contrast to the snowy landscape surrounding it, and is truly a must-see.
Once the sun went down, Canyon Lodge filled up with people eagerly awaiting the famous fireworks extravaganza. Mammoth once again outdid themselves as they illuminated the slopes as well as the skies to the delight of the all-ages crowd. Once the last blast had burst, the families cleared out and The Naked + 
Famous took the on-snow stage by storm with their poppy melodies that first made their way into our industry through the Art of Flight. Unfortunately, a couple of lingering children put their own objects into flight toward the stage. Despite the kind pleas from the dashing lead singer Thom Powers, the derelicts in the crowd were determined to ruin the concert.
Fortunately for the rest of us, Hyde Lounge had a contingency plan, with a carnival of entertainers, a beautiful bar crowd, and LA Riots taking over the DJ booth, a line quickly formed at the door clambering a taste of the hottest ticket in town. If you missed out on the wild weekend that was, don’t let it get you down. Mammoth will be doing it all again for New Year’s Eve and the MLK holiday, so start making your party plans now at mammothmountain.com/newyears.
the snowboard art park looks so cool!